Pope John Paul

Stamp and cover issued to commemorate Pope John Paul’s visit to Gniezno in Poland in June 1979.

Pope John Paul II, born Karol Jozef Wojtyla, was pope of the Catholic Church from 16th October 1978 until his death on the 2nd April 2005. He was the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX and the first non-Italian pope since the Dutch Pope Adrian VI.

A First Day cover commemorating Pope John Paul’s visit to Poland in 1983.

Karol Józef Wojtyła was born on the 18th May 1920 in Wadowice, near Krakow, in southern Poland.

A postage stamp and special envelope issued in Poland to commemorate the Pope’s visit to Krakow in June 1997.